


Where have you been

by Hopestallion



Series: Magi the Labyrinth of magic song inspired [3]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Canon Divergent, M/M, Modern AU, Modern Setting, Modern verse, OC insert, Song Inspired, Where have you been Rihanna, alihaku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 18:37:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4402844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopestallion/pseuds/Hopestallion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alibaba is too shy to actually speak to Hakuryuu and other way it seems to be the exact same case. But what if your friend were nosy and would find a way, to get you together? Even if it's cliché and totally stolen from some Nicholas Sparks movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where have you been

”How can you dislike Rihanna?” towel patted against pale, sweat slicked skin. Even with dancing outside and the sun beating down, her skin didn't show a single tan line. Not even the slightly 'red' of sunburn. He rolled his eyes at her and threw the bottle of water towards her. She didn't see him do so, but still caught the bottle midair, while drying off the sweat. “It's just... to much” he replied and a faint blush made itself known on her face. “You are a cutie Ali-chan...”, “You make me sound like a girl”, “No you do that yourself already...” he throws something at her, which turns out to be a paper ball. So he had been doing homework, instead of watching her.

”I need your opinion on this you know? Won't work, if you're sitting over algebra in the sun!” a pout was to be heard clearly in the female's voice, he scratched the back of his head. “I'm not good to ask that...” which was true, Alibaba could dance a little, but choreography? Wasn't his forte. He could tell if she sang a note wrong, or missed one, that he could do. But he couldn't tell if the choreography was on point or not. Not to mention, that he felt uncomfortable watching his best friend, shake her body like that.

The other blonde sat down next to him, in sweats and her sports-bra, drinking from the bottle of water, she searched with one free hand for her sunglasses. Didn't come up with any, till he fished them out, from underneath her backpack and his books. “Thanks” he just nodded at her, eyes back on the paper in front of him. “You'll never get a boyfriend, if you don't look up from time to time” there was a teasing tone in her voice. Because both knew, there was someone he liked already.

Just when he had been drawing a crisp line for his triangle, her elbow hit his arm and pulled the pen across the paper. “The hell, Pas!” his head turned so fast, she winced in sympathy for his neck. “Look up, but don't make It obvious” she simply whispered around the bottle's mouth. He wasn't subtile, would never be, which was why he stared directly into Ren Hakuryuu's eyes. Blue mismatched eyes looking right back, capturing those whisky colored eyes, many envied. They stared at one another for almost two minutes, in which Pascal and Judal, who was on Hakuruyu's right side, glared at one another.

Judal jabbing his elbow into Hakuryuu's side, while Pascal pinched Alibaba's cheek, made the two boys spring to the here and now. Both turning to give their friend a piece of mind, moving forward in their day and forgetting that moment of longing staring. Or well that was how Pascal would describe it later to Aladdin and Morgiana. It was a pain, that Morgiana was going to a special school, for martial arts and Aladdin to a private school, his uncle taught at. Aladdin's guardian was one of the cutest human beings Pascal knew, telling them to call him by his name.

 **I've been everywhere, man**  
**Looking for someone**  
**Someone who can please me**  
**Love me all night long**  
**I've been everywhere, man**  
**Looking for you babe**  
**Looking for you babe**  
**Searching for you babe**

Kougyoku slid into the chair across from Pascal, who was doodling on the back of her notebook. Headphones in she didn't hear, the three attempts of Kougyoku talking to her. She was ready to give up, thinking the other was purposefully ignoring her, since the tiny white iphone headphones were hidden behind curls of blonde hair. Judal who plopped right next to Pascal, could see the white cord, that led to the phone itself and did the one reasonable thing, or so he thought. Pulling it out, so the music stopped and the drawing hand with it. Blue eyes lifted from the grayish surface, of doodle canvas. To look from Kougyoku to Judal, to the unplugged headphones. “This better be good”

”We need your help to get Ryuu-chan to talk to Ali-chan” Kougyoku said, which made Judal facepalm next to her, but essentially it was the truth. Hakuryuu had been mopping ever since he'd seen Alibaba in his math AP class, which was no fun for Judal who wanted to prank him and Kougyoku who wanted one conversation. Without her cousin and adoptive brother to stare off into infinite space.

Pascal rose an eyebrow, well it wasn't against her plans, to get the two morons together. She was surprised that Judal wanted in on it. “I get that you want to help” turning around to stare at the dark haired male, she rose a blonde eyebrow. “I don't get why you want to help, though” another eye roll of him, like it was so obvious. “I can't pull pranks on him if he doesn't react to them” simple as that, it kind of made sense.

Noticing the approach of Alibaba the blonde stood up abruptly. “Let's meet in our free period on the roof..... It'd be too suspicious to be talking here...” and with that she plugged her earphones back in, left the two and joined her friend for lunch. Due to her having collected all her credits already two years ago, the last two years of her high-school life, would be a sleep filled piece of cake. Pascal usually did use the free periods to work part-time or give tutoring lessons for those who's usual free periods played into hers.

Alibaba of course had noticed his best friend, talking to Kougyoku (whom he was with friends as well) and Judal, which had been the odd one out, so to speak. “You okay?” he asked her, once he'd sat his tray down and the blonde stole a fry from his. Because Pascal generally didn't like to eat lunch at school and skipped for dinner. “If you mean to ask, what Judal wanted from me, I'd love to say it's my beautiful looks that got his ass down to earth. But it was something about history... We have AP history together...” which was not a lie. They did have AP history together, the rest was made up. But with a straight face, Alibaba wouldn't notice that.

”What about you though? You're late for lunch and if anything, you're never late to lunch” it wasn't the exceptional food, but the company. Since their classes differed so much and only six of them they had together in the whole week. It was rare they saw one another in class. “Our biology project was announced and Cassim and I needed to check something with Mr. Sin....” the name of their teacher was actually Sinbad, which none of them knew was a surname or his actual name. Anyway everyone called him Sin and that seemed to be alright. Cassim who was Alibaba's childhood friend, didn't like the cafeteria nor did he see eye to eye with Pascal. Maybe it was her jabbing at him for smoking, or the latest pictures of a smoker's lung she had shown him. Pascal just didn't want to see Alibaba sad, if Cassim passed away one day, due to coughing up a lung.

Anyway if there was one thing they actually did agree on, it was to protect Alibaba and have him be treated the right way. Which was why she had to involve him and his sister in the plan. Mariam, Pascal did like, a quirky and headstrong girl. Sad that she worshipped her brother like that, otherwise the two would be the beste-st of friends (secretly they did enjoy teasing Alibaba till he flushed like a tomato)

 **[text;; dickbag]** You monkey boss... need your help with Ali-chan's love life.  
**[text;; dickbag]** bring the princess with you  
**[text;; dickbag]** btw here is a picture of a smoker's toe....

 **Where have you been**  
Cause I never see you out  
Are you hiding from me, yeah?  
Somewhere in the crowd

Meeting on the roof, turned out to have been one of her more clever ideas. If she had thought she and Cassim didn't see eye to eye, or her and Judal were a molotov cocktail. Seeing those two, was like watching Hiroshima 1945 on black white videos. One could barely get in a word, until Kougyoku actually did hit the back of Judal's head and Mariam did the same with Cassim. Both grumbling, but shriveling at their respective company's glares. “Now that we found out, that you two are actually worse than me with any of you. Let's get to the point of all this. Hakuryuu moon-eye's Alibaba and Alibaba looks at him like he's the last unicorn. Which let's be real, Alibaba probably is.” there were some grumbled words, but they sounded like agreements, so she forewent any commentary.

”The thing is to get the two to actually spill it to one another right?” Mariam received nods from all four parties. “Why don't we lock them up together?” Kougyoku quipped in, it worked in most movies, so why not try it in real life. “Is any of the two claustrophobic?” Pascal asked. She was sure that Alibaba wasn't, since they had hid once in her closet – the story was totally harmless, but they had needed to hide and the closet had been the only option. “Alibaba is definitely not claustrophobic... what about Hakuryuu?” the red haired girl tapped her chin, but couldn't recall any such fear. Slowly shaking her head, which was what set their plan into stone. They'd have to lock the two up.

”How are we going to do that though? You can't get the two into a closet and be like “Oh we're going to lock you up now, so you can confess your eternal love” Cassim lit his cigarette and offered Judal one, which surprised Pascal. Judal took one and lit it, how come these two bonded over cancer and death? Wait why did she even ask herself that, it was obvious that that would be the only outcome of this.

She rolled her eyes at him and took a deep breath to explain her plan. Because Pascal was a woman of organized crime – locking up people in a closet against their will, was technically a felony after all - “I have dance lessons on Friday, the studio I dance at, gives me that one small room at the far back. Since Fridays most groups come in. Alibaba promised to accompany me, Kougyoku you ask Hakuryuu to walk you there. Since it's evening and you wouldn't want anyone to jump you at night. You want to take contemporary dance classes, which you got the info from me. Since we're in AP history together. Get him inside, I pretend to get forms for you, we both leave the two inside and lock up.” Kougyoku agreed to the plan right away and so did Mariam, making Cassim and Judal wonder why they even bothered coming

The rooftop emptied slowly, with the girls going over the plan and the details, Judal stumping his cigarette at the wall of the roofed staircase, leading back into the school. While Cassim just flicked his over the edge of the roof. Following the girls down the stairs, he was right behind Pascal when she misplaced her foot and slipped, falling forward, Cassim grabbed for her. He stopped her fall like she weighed nothing and pulled her back on her own two feet, The blonde's heart was hammering in her chest, the shock from almost falling still in her bones as she turned around. Cassim's face too close for comfort as she mumbled a 'thank you' and hurriedly made her way down the rest of the stairs and to the parking lot, for her car. She wouldn't admit the flush in her cheeks, to be nothing but embarrassment of almost having face planted down the stairs.

Alibaba was already waiting at her car with a broad grin on his lips, holding up a paper from his AP math class, that said A- in a circle of red marker. Her own smile mirrored his in brightness, since she knew he had been learning for the test non-stop. “So now that you passed, you can actually judge my newest choreography, right?” she asked, unlocking her car and seating herself behind the steering wheel. Throwing her backpack onto the backseat, she waited for Alibaba to take place and put his own seatbelt on. “I promised to come with you this Friday, so I will...” that set into stone their plan couldn't go wrong, no matter what. With that surety the blonde drove them home, after making a detour for Starbucks, coffee would always be her drug of choice.

 **Where have you been,**  
**All my life, all my life**  
**Where have you been, all my life**  
**Where have you been, all my life**  
**Where have you been, all my life**  
**Where have you been, all my life**

Alibaba did like the dance studio, he got to see his friend doing what she loved the most. If anyone asked him, it was his friends happiness that gave him joy. Watching Aladdin learn new languages, Morgiana win a new competition or Cassim play a new difficult song on the guitar. All these things made him smile and be happy for them and himself that he knew such talented people. He was a great fencer himself and had an upcoming tournament in a few months. But he'd never say 'No' to come watch Pascal dance, each of her dances had a song to tell, especially during contemporary classes. Lately she had been on a Rihanna spree, which she had in between, weeks where she'd solely listen to one artist and dedicate dances to their certain songs. Last week Shakira, this week Rihanna, Alibaba knew them by name now.

The dance he had missed out on, because he had been studying algebra, turned out to be some sort of sped up love song, with some edges to the dance. He kind of liked it, it was something different he hadn't expected. And soon he found himself in a daydream, about a certain dark haired boy with different blue eyes and pale skin, that could rival Pascal's. What if he could dance? He'd like that, impress the guy he liked with some moves and why did his daydream turn into a sequence form step-up. He only knew that movie, because Pascal made him marathon watch all movies that existed from that line. The dances had been the only good thing about them.

Lesson coming to an end Alibaba was waiting for Pascal to change into her streetwear, which was the only reason for him to sit on one of the little chairs in the dance room. Chairs usually the dance-teacher occupied, but Pascal only rented the room, taught herself most of the moves anyway. Since the blonde wasn't in, he was the only one to greet the two people who stepped inside. One of them Kougyoku which had surprised Alibaba, but made him smile anyway. “Kougyoku!” he waved at her, “Ali-chan!” that nickname, he had to thank Pascal for, who thought 'Alibaba' was too long. “What are you doing here?” he asked, not yet seeing the other person, who was standing in the doorway and therefore in the shadow of the dark hallway. “Pascal-chan, told me that she teaches contemporary here, upon request and I saw some YouTube videos, I'd like to try it...” she explained and walked towards him,the other person following her, bathed in light now. Alibaba almost choked on his own spit, when he recognized him to be Hakuryuu.

Kougyoku smiled at the two, like that hadn't been her plan all along, turning to pull Hakuryuu closer, the smile stayed on place. Hakuryuu wanted to protest but felt it would have been rude, towards Alibaba. “I believe you two haven't met officially yet.... Ren Hakuryuu, Alibaba Saluja, Alibaba Saluja, Ren Hakuryuu” not like neither of the boys didn't know the other's name, it was easier however to play as if they didn't. No one could have noticed, how each of them threw the other longing, glances when they thought they didn't notice. “Hi...” Alibaba shook Hakuryuu's hand shyly, whom the other returned, somehow his hand firmly holding Alibaba's, lingering for seconds. Before Pascal interrupted them, adding to the group of people.

”I have the form in the printer in the office.... Would you mind accompanying me there? We can directly hand it in, after you signed” Kougyoku nodded and Pascal asked Alibaba to wait for her in the room, so no one would get inside, without permission. There was still expensive stereo inside. Kougyoku suggested for Hakuryuu to keep Alibaba company, seeing as it would be rude to leave him all by himself. And without even awaiting any other answer, than an affirmative, the two girls were out of the room. The door closed behind them, while the two boys looked after them and then the click of the lock sounded, which startled both.

 **I've been everywhere, man**  
**Looking for someone**  
**Someone who can please me**  
**Love me all night long**  
**I've been everywhere, man**  
**Looking for you babe**  
**Looking for you babe**

”Kougyoku?!”, “Pascal?!” the two boys stood on the other side of the locked doors, trying to pry them open, while thumping their fists against the door in an attempt to get someone to notice.However the two girls who were meant to open the door, weren't there. Because the idea was to give them at least almost four hours. That way they'd be forced to talk, Pascal would then come back and unlock the door and let them out. If none of them straight up murdered her, then the plan had worked.

Alibaba was the first to give up and step away from the door, if Pascal hadn't opened after he had threatened to spill her secret, then she wasn't around. Well he should have seen this coming if he was honest, it wasn't like the blonde could stay away from something as tempting as his 'non existent love life'. At the same time he said “It's probably my fault” Hakuryuu said the exact same thing, making the two look at one another. It did prompt a round of laughter shared in between them, before both regained composure to ask the other why.

It was awkward to say the least, Alibaba didn't know how to explain, why he thought it was his fault. And neither seemed Hakuryuu, it would have been painful to watch, if there were to be anyone, but the two of them. And finally Hakuryuu's shoulders slumped and he pushed it out between his teeth, like it was painful to say it any other way. “I think it's because...” there is a pause and then hurriedly added “Kougyoku knows I'm interested in you...”, Alibaba blinks once, twice, three times before it registers. And suddenly all the tension from his shoulders is drained away.

”I think we're safe to assume that it was a combined plan of her and Pascal... because Pascal knows that I....” it's still hard to put into words and he has to swallow hard. “I kinda like you” well that wasn't so bad, he was tempted to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. However all he did was shyly look up at Hakuryuu and why was the other taller than him? That was truly not fair. Hakuryuu's face flushed and he took a step forward, there was suddenly energy in the way he moved and it looked like he was ready to go into a huge speech. But all he said was a single tone of 'eh' and slump right in front of Alibaba's face. He was squatting on the ground and holding his head in his hands. “Hakuryuu?” Alibaba knelt down in front of him, his head tilted to the side he had a lot of a cat.

Hakuryuu lifted his head and with a small move forward, their lips were touching. Causing Alibaba to lose balance, grab for the other's sweater and pull him with him down. Hitting his head hard on the wooden floor, Hakuryuu toppled on top of him. Not even having enough time to hold himself up or anything. It was definitely unlike any romance movie either of them, had to endure due to their friends influence.

They lay there for a while, Alibaba on his back, his head mildly throbbing from probably what would be a bump in the morning. While Hakuryuu tried to gather his thoughts and the last of what could be considered dignity. And then, suddenly Alibaba burst into laughter, so much so that the taller boy lifted his head. Blue eyes peered at closed whisky colored ones, mouth wide open for the laughter to be heard. Moving his body down of Alibaba's and into a sitting position on the floor, the dark haired male wasn't so sure what to do. Slowly the laughter died down and Alibaba sat up, wiping tears out of the corner of his eyes. “I should have followed her advice all along”

Upon Hakuryuu's confusion, the blond hurried to explain. “Pascal told me to just go and ask you out. She said the worst you could do was say, no. Besides she had an 'eye' for things and was sure you'd actually not say 'no'” but because Alibaba was a shy boy, when it came to love. He hadn't found it in himself to be as bold as his best friend. Who simply went up to the people bluntly stating what she wanted and shrugging 'no's off, like it was no big deal. Not that Alibaba had seen a single person, say 'no' to those baby blues.

 **Searching for you babe**  
**Where have you been**  
**Cause I never see you out**  
**Are you hiding from me, yeah?**  
**Somewhere in the crowd**

Hakuryuu smiled a genuine smile, for the first time since he had entered the whole dance building. Or even before, there was only one person that could make him smile genuinly, aside from Alibaba right now. And that was his sister Hakuei, who was currently in Japan due to a project of the family's company. “Kougyoku said something similar...” he admitted rubbing the back of his neck, blood gathered in his cheeks to color them red. After the first awkwardness wore off, the two got to actually talk. Finding out little things about one another.

Alibaba wouldn't have ever guessed, that Hakuryuu liked to cook and was actually quite good at it. Other way round Hakuryuu didn't know Alibaba was a tournament fencer. Their conversation pulled from topic to topic. Not even noticing how it had gotten dark outside and the overhead light of the dance' studio's B-Hall was the only light they had.

”What are you doing here?” Pascal was leaning agains the wall of the Dance-studio, drinking a hot cup of Starbucks coffee, while she waited for her phone. A set timer to alert her that she'd have unlock the door for the two and let them out. Kougyoku sent home, safe and sound. Because neither wanted to see the scary face of her oldest half-brother, who did not tolerate his younger sister to be out so late. Which in the end had Pascal standing there alone waiting. For Cassim to appear, was a surprise to her nonetheless.

”Was on my way” he merely said, a cigarette dangling in between his lips and how he could talk around that, would stay a mystery to her forever. “Sure....” turning her attention back to her phone, she could see him lean against the wall next to her from the corner of her eyes. At first she wanted to question his behavior, usually he'd put at least six feet between them. However her music stopped, she caught snippets of three guys not far away from them talking. Obviously thinking of making a pass on her, or worse. Cassim however, sent them one single glance, that had the three men turn around and walk off.

”I could have taken them on... I don't need you to protect me...”, “I was merely trying to save their lives... I'm well aware that you could kill them...” that startled her, blue eyes set on a seemingly bored profile. She was speechless, it was the very first time in her whole life she had been speechless. “I learned to not underestimate women” Pascal knew that Mariam and Cassim had grown up with Alibaba's mom, before she had died on a disease. Which was why she simply nodded and turned her eyes back to her phone, which he did himself as well. And if they stood a bit too close together? Who would notice in the dark anyway, it wasn't like they could help it

Not long after Cassim had joined her in her wait, did the blonde unlock the door on Hakuryuu and Alibaba. Texting the blonde that they weren't locked up anymore, cause it seemed due to their talk, they hadn't heard the lock. Meeting the two teenagers outside in front of the dance studio, had ended in a tirade of Alibaba. Which included a lecture about “Why you shouldn't lock up your best friend” and “Why it could be considered kidnapping and deprivation of liberty”.

Pascal let him rant it all out, before he introduced Hakuryuu to both her and Cassim. Latter promptly informing Hakuryuu, that if he hurt Alibaba he would kill him and hide his body. Pascal just shrugged her shoulders and added a “What he said”. Causing their friend to apologize to his new /friend/, because for now the two just wanted to date and see where it would head. Hakuryuu just had waved them off with a small smile, because he knew they only meant it good. Or he hoped it at least. Parting ways, when each of them reached their car. Cassim and Alibaba hopping a ride with Pascal, while the Ren took his own car.

**Where have you been,  
All my life, all my life  
Where have you been, all my life  
Where have you been, all my life  
Where have you been, all my life  
Where have you been, all my life**

”Did you two become friends finally?” Sitting in the passenger seat, he turned a bit to look at Cassim in the backseat and then to Pascal behind the steering wheel. Cassim had never ever ridden with Pascal in a car and it was unusual for the two to even be in the same proximity of one another.Therefore completely justifying the Saluja's confusion.

 **“When hell freezes over”** it was almost simultaneously said.

 **Where have you been, all my life**  
You can have me all you want  
Any way, any day  
To show me where you are tonight


End file.
